The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-12

find shelter"
"very WELL" said the voice. "Wait.'
After few minutes an iron bolt was
pushed back, and two tall men stood be-
fore me, and behind them a big dog.
The younger of the two took hold of my
hand and helped me into the house.
l soon felt very comfortable. I was
we'll taken care of. The wine I drank
and the warm blankets soon brought me
to life again. forgot to ask where I
was and with whom. The big dog al
ways followed the two men, who spoke
very little.
After perhaps an hour had passed an
old servant came and set the tea table with
bountiful repast, and accepted, with
pleasure, the kind invitation to join them.
After tea, wine and other drinks were
put on the table and the conversation
became lively. looked at my friendly
hosts. The younger, perhaps twenty,
was tall and slender, simply aud we'll
dressed, with pleasant expression on
his face, which drew me toward him.
The elder was about thirty or forty, also
tall, but he had dark, uneasy look on
his face, with slender hands, which now
and then moved convulsively.
I told my story; the hot drink had
made me laxative. talked more than
I had ever done in my life. mentioned
-, ~
said it was u secret; 8" but I will tell
you all about it, continued, and took
out my pocket book in which L had put
nay work. "You know as we'll as I do,
no doubt, that on the day before Christ
mas, at the house of banker Mendel, in
Manchester, there was stolen packet of
diamonds and jewels and bank notes
worth $4,000. That you know, gentle
men. But" added, "what you do not
know is this: Beside the little cupboard
out of which the two packets we're taken
in broad daylight they found kind of
pocket book with an unmounted likeness,
on which was put in large letters on the
wrong side of it, My Photo And now
listen further" 1 continued more mys-
teriously, "the day of the Oath of Deem
Der man WAS at Mr.. MendePs who rep
resented the Photographic kind of e
farmer, who wished TO sell him carriage
horse-the same man-and that is the
thief Nobody but those entrusted with
the affair know about it. Here, this
plate represents the head of the un
known. Tomorrow he will be seen in
every part of Manchester, with his
writing, my photo initiated, and the day
after tomorrow he will be found at all
the corners of London. He has not left
England, and therefore he is sure to be
caught"
| showed both likeness and plate. /
did not look at my hosts. was too
much occupied with my own thoughts.
do not know what impression the photo
made on them when the younger of the
two unrolled it. [ was nervous and ex-
story: "Mr. Menael was not in his pri-
vate Office when the stranger was taken
to him. He was in a little room where
he kept bis favorite pictures and other
valuable objects. Here the stranger had
found him looking at the box with the
jewels, and putting them away with the
bank notes. The stranger pretended to
take interest only in the beautiful pict-
ures on the wall. When in the evening
Mr.. Mendel went to take out the little
vase with it's contents, all had disappear
ed; his foot knocked against something
on the soft carpet = it was his pocket
book, and In it was the likeness OF the
stranger. All this is kept secret to be
sure of the thief" concluded, and took
another strong drink, which the elder
handed me. All was quiet for some time,
until the elder commenced:
Now, have prepared for you the last
hot 'nightcap'; after taking it you will
sleep well. You see, we are as much in
want of sleep as you are, and therefore I
will lead you to your bedroom"
consented willingly to everything, for
a strange feeling came over me. me-
chemically took his offered hands q only
had still in mine the feeling to touch my
breast pocket, to know that the plate and
likeness were there all right and follow
ed my leader, the older of the two men,
slowly upstairs to a plain bedroom in
which they had lit fire.
Then was left alone, but instead of
undressing myself and going to bed sat
down in a big arm chair which stood be-
fore the open fireplace and was seized
with species of oblivion.
Tt was not exactly forgetfulness was
like dream. L saw the snow, the two
men - whom l could not altogether
Understandable poor Aunt Bessie-no
doubt in great trouble about my long
absence.
1t was not the fire alone 1 saw. The
door opened softly. Some figures enter.
ed--one, two, three. I was not able to
move, only felt a damp cloth being sud-
denly put before my face, and two strong
arms took hold of nue.. 1 could not
scream. Only once l opened my eyes,
like one does in dream or before death.
saw the face of my photo, saw the
same large, searching eyes, the curly
hair, the well-formed mouth, and the
powerful nostrils. My plate was alive
before me, or, was it himself? Was he